Fall Weeds

Fall is the best time to control dandelions and other perennial weeds, such as ground ivy. In fall, the plant begins moving nutrients to the roots for storage instead of to upper plant parts for continued growth. If herbicides are applied at this time, the chemicals are transported to the roots along with the nutrients, killing the entire plant instead of just the parts above the soil surface.

The best control measures to use depends largely on correctly identifying the weed present, but one of the keys to controlling weeds effectively is making herbicide applications at the right time of year and for many broadleaf, perennial weeds like violets, ground ivy, and dandelions fall is an excellent time to get them under control.  Fall control of annual weeds like crabgrass, foxtail, etc. is not necessary. These weeds will die during the winter and do not germinate from seed until spring, making fall control unneccesary.

Many winter annual weeds, like field pennycress, shepherdspurse, chickweed and henbit, should also be targeted for controlled in the fall. Winter annual weeds germinate in fall, grow into a small rosette then overwinter and resume growth in early spring. A fall broadleaf pre-emergent application, such as Preen (trifluralin), Surflan, Pendimethalin or Dimension, should be applied in the fall to prevent weed seed germination, just as it does in the spring.

Before applying any herbicide, always have the weeds identified and follow the manufacturer's directions.  Use caution when applying herbicides around landscape beds since accidental spraying or spray drift can damage shrubs and ornamental plants.

Additional Information

New Jersey Weed Gallery - Rutger University

Henbit Information - UC Davis

Shepard's Purse - University of Illinois

Pennycress - Virginia Tech

Ground Ivy - Virginia Tech

Borax on Ground Ivy: Boon or Bane? - Iowa State University

Harvest of Trial Crops at Burlington County Ag Center

A sure sign that fall has arrived was the recent harvest of crops from the Burlington County Agricultural Center.  The crops were planted as a field trial for Rutgers University and are grown in research plots that are evaluated for their growth characteristics.  To find out what's in season throughout New Jersey this fall, visit either the Rutgers Jersey Fresh Information Exchange page or the NJ Department of Agriculture - Jersey Fresh page.

White Grubs

Recently, while walking in the neighborhood, I came across a number of white grubs crawling on a drive way.  While it may be a little too late to treat for grubs this fall, we thought it would be interesting to post this short video and some general information about white grubs.

White grubs (Order Coleoptera, Family Scarabaeidae) are 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches long, have three pairs of legs near the head, and characteristically rest in a C-shaped position. Their heads and rear ends are brown. Green June beetle grubs crawl on their backs with their legs up. Grubs can be identified by the pattern of spines (rasters) on the rear ends. It is important to know the kind of grub in order to know when to treat.

Generally, the procedure for treating for white grubs is:

• Determine the extent of your grub infestation


• Identify the Grub Species


• Select a Control Method


• Treat in the Fall

Not all lawns have grub infestations that warrant control. Lawns differ in susceptibility to white grubs because of differences in grass species, soil health, irrigation, amount of sun or shade, traffic, etc. A dense stand of grass with a healthy root system can generally tolerate up to 10 grubs per square foot.   Please read the resource cited below to obtain additional information on how to control white grubs.

Additional Information

Insect Management in Turf Grass: White Grubs

White Grub Identification